Reader’s Theatre
Everything you need to know about incorporating, implementing,
and expanding on Reader’s Theater in your classroom!
With Your Hosts
Dame Charlene Arboleda
&
Sir Mark D’Angelo
You’ve Got a Show To Do!
We’re going to divide you into two teams!
An Upper Elementary Group of Readers
and a Lower Elementary Group of Readers
Mr. D & Mrs. A will assign parts – and then it’s time to
rehearse! The curtain goes up in minutes!
The Little Red Hen
The Three Little Wolves
& The Big Bad Pig
Reader’s Theater for Dummies
What is it?
•Students read aloud an original script, an adapted script from literature or one they’ve
created themselves
•Performers use voices, facial expressions and gestures to bring characters to life
•Narrator conveys setting, commentary to aid transitions (in lower grades, a narrator may
not be necessary – often times, all children want character roles)
•Audience visualizes the action
•Two “Camps” regarding final performance:
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Camp Orthodox: No sets, costumes, or props! No fun for you!
Camp Unorthodox: Live it up! Props, Costumes, Music, Sets, Discoball, Live Animals, Michael Flatley & His River
Dancers - the works!
• But BOTH AGREE: NO MEMORIZED LINES!
Reader’s Research
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An approved form of repeated guided oral reading ; in fact, the NRP certifies Reader’s
Theater (a form of repeated guided oral reading) as THE MOST EFFECTIVE way to
improve fluency – especially when it includes higher level role models
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Students obtain fluency with high-frequency words and master new vocabulary words
through repeated use and context clues.
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As a result, students show improvement in vocabulary, comprehension and retention.
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Multi-leveled and colorized Reader’s Theater is an improved form of Reader’s Theater
that maximizes students’ learning, allowing students of varying reading abilities to
practice and improve together.
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Additionally, students using lessons from the text build reading comprehension skills
as they make predictions, identify plot elements, recognize character and setting,
recognize the main idea, and draw conclusions.
Additional Benefits
• Boosts self-confidence
• Fosters collaboration
• Engages and motivates students
• Connects oral reading, literature, writing and drama
• Provides context for purposeful reading
Getting Started
• Key is choosing the right texts
– Scripts of varied levels of difficulty to meet range of
reading abilities
– Consider students’ interests
– Scripts rich in vocabulary, lively dialogue, action
– Predictable stories: repeated words, phrases
– Series books: students get to know, follow characters
Where do we find scripts?
Websites
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www.readinglady.com
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www.readers.org/
http://hometown.aol.com/rcswallow/
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www.literacyconnections.com/ReadersTheater.html
www.tadatheater.com
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www.readers-theatre.com
http://playbooks.com/
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http://www.readingrockets.org/
http://scriptsforschools.com/
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AMQDQS48qE
http://www.evsd.org/curriculum/tech/k5tech/teacher/readerstheatrei •
ntro.htm
http://www.readinga-z.com/book/scripts.php
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http://aaronshep.com/rt/index.html
http://www2.scholastic.com/
http://aesopfables.com/
Books
Break a Leg! The Kids' Guide to Acting and Stagecraft, by Lise
Friedman (Workman, 2001).
15 Easy-to-Read Mini-Book Plays (K-2), by Sheryl Ann Crawford &
Nancy I. Sanders (Scholastic, 2001).
Folk Tale Plays From Around the World That Kids Will Love!, by
Marci Appelbaum and Jeff Catanese (Scholastic, 2001).
25 Just-Right Plays for Emergent Readers (K-1), by Carol
Pugliano-Martin (Scholastic, 1998).
Readers Theatre for Beginning Readers (Grades 1-4), by Suzanne
I. Barchers (Teacher Ideas Press, 1993).
Frantic Frogs and Other Frankly Fractured Folktales for Readers
Theatre, by Anthony D. Fredericks (Teacher Ideas Press, 1993).
And THOUSANDS more!
PopularScripts
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Around the Water Cycle from
www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm
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“Boa Constrictor” from Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, 1974 •
Chicken Little retold by Jenny Giles (Rigby, 1997)
The Christmas Santa Almost Missed by Marian Frances (Troll, 1970)
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CLICK, CLACK, MOO: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin,2000
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“Code” from Lunch Money and Other Poems about School by Carol
Diggory Shields, 1995
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“The Crocodile’s Toothache” from Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel
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Silverstein, 1974
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Don’t Let Ted Have BUBBLE GUM! by Phyllis Sibbing, 1999
“A Faster Fox” from Fox Outfoxed by Edward Marshall, 1996
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“Fox the Famous” from Fox Be Nimble by Edward Marshall 1994
“Fox in Luck” from Fox in Love by Edward Marshall, 1994
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“Fox on Stage” from Fox at School by Edward Marshall, 1993
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“Fox in Trouble” from Fox and His Friends by Edward Marshall, 1994
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The Gingerbread Man retold by Annette Smith (Rigby, 1997)
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“Life-Size” from Santa’s Time Off, 1997
The Little Red Hen retold by Jenny Giles (Rigby, 1997)
“Pizza Time” from Fox on the Job by Edward Marshall, 1995
“Pledge” from Lunch Money and Other Poems about School by Carol
Diggory Shields, 1995
Pum, Pum, Pum, Pum, Pumpkin Pie from
www.night.net/tucker/thanksgiving/pumppum.html-ssi
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town by Carolyn Quattrocki, 1995
The Tale of the Turnip retold by Jenny Giles (Rigby, 1997)
The Three Billy Goats Gruff retold by Annette Smith (Rigby, 1997)
Time to Hibernate from 25 Emergent Reader Plays Around the Year
(Scholastic, 1999)
“The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven” from Something Big Has Been Here
by Jack Prelutsky, 1990
Two Crazy Pigs by Karen Berman Nagel, 1992
“What Is That?” Said the Cat by Grace Maccarone, 1995
You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Stories to
Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman, 2001
Tips for Discerning Script Levels
• Pay close attention to sight words present
• Review vocabulary present in the scripts
• Do a class silent reading/read aloud first
– assess students’ reactions to difficulty level
– make adjustments accordingly
• Make use of key resources/level texts
– Most pre-made scripts will indicate grade levels
– Adapt a script from a level text
– Websites feature a plethora of appropriately leveled scripts
Differentiation &Scaffolding
~Role Assignments vs. RoleChoice ~
• Assign roles/steer students towards roles that fit their reading level
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No risk of a student struggling and/or feeling incompetent
Can build week to week; go up (or maybe down) the ladder of roles accordingly
All students feel like stars! Each has a part they can master!
ZPD/Modeling – they learn more difficult parts by following along as fluent readers
perform/recite/rehearse their roles
• Let students choose their roles
– Since so much rehearsing/repetition will take place, that all students will eventually become fluent
with their lines
– All students will feel like equals! Not to mention reading levels don’t indicate performance ability.
– All students feel like stars! Each has a part that they will master!
– ZPD/Modeling – they learn more difficult parts by following along as fluent readers
perform/recite/rehearse their roles
*Adapted scripts from leveled texts or leveled scripts lend themselves perfectly to choice of roles
Implementation - Daily
Pre-Day 1
• Teacher and/or students select story.
• Teacher and/or students prepare or write script.
Day 1
• Teacher reads aloud the story.
• Students read script independently, in small
groups, or as a whole class multiple times.
• Teacher and students discuss story.
• Students take home unmarked scripts for
practice.
Day 2, 3, and 4
• Students practice script in small and large
groups, taking turns with different parts until later
in the week when permanent parts are chosen.
• Students give each other compliments and
suggestions.
• Teachers provide mini-lessons or coaching
that explicitly teaches an aspect of fluency or
prosody.
• Students highlight parts for specific characters.
• Students select permanent parts.
• Students take highlighted scripts home for
practice.
Day 5 - Performance
Implementation - Weekly
Mondays
•Scripts go out
Fridays
• Students read scripts independently
• Performance Day!
• Highlight parts/Assign Parts
• Students work together for 15-30 min before lunch
• Students take home highlighted scripts for
• Call together scripts by color
a nightly 10 minute practice read
• Survey the room – assist groups as needed
• Students record practice log (usually rehearsing
• Performances after lunch
with parent/sibling)
• “Dinner Theater” atmosphere – every Friday do
• Scripts easily identifiable in groups by highlighter
Snacks, Refreshments & Shows
colors
Beginning Weeks: All getting the same scripts; they can see their parts reinterpreted in
many different ways
Middle and Later Weeks: Different scripts & different performance troupes
Implementation - Stations
Monday – Thursday
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Fridays
Integrate Reader’s Theater into your regularly
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Performance Day!
occurring station set-up
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Rotating weekly performances from different
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Have one station be the “Reader’s Theater”
troupes (more time to add extras –
station
props/sets/costumes)
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One troupe at a time can perform weekly after
-ORworking on their script all week while the other •
Several groups perform the scripts they’ve been
students work on their normal stations
working on all week
-OREach station is a different troupe & script
• “Dinner Theater” atmosphere? – every Friday do
Snacks, Refreshments & Shows
Reader’s Theater in Primary Classrooms
Day 1 of Weekly Routine
• Teacher models expressive reading – read aloud books on
which scripts are based
• Class discussion of stories’ content, meaning
• Mini-lesson on aspects of fluency
• Repeated independent, partner reading of all parts of
scripts in groups
• Two sets of scripts: one for school, one for home
Primary Classrooms
Days 2 & 3
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Each group gets scripts with specific parts highlighted
Rotate scripts, practice different roles
Feedback from teacher & peers
End Day 3 with a specific part
Primary Classrooms – A Note on Parts
• Respectable parts for all readers:
– Teacher differentiates roles based on reading abilities,
complexity of parts, personalities
– Larger parts for higher readers (Hen, narrators)
– Lower readers may follow higher readers who model
(Dog in Little Red Hen)
– Students negotiate roles within groups
– Split up longer parts
Primary Classrooms
Day 4
• Continued practice, rehearsals
• Students strive to do their best in anticipation of a new
audience
Day 5
• It’s show time! Students perform before their classmates,
principal, librarian, and/or invite parents in to see the show
Encore Performance
We’re going to divide you into FOUR teams!
TWO Upper Elementary Groups of Readers & Writers
and TWO Lower Elementary Groups of Readers & Writers
Mr. D & Mrs. A will describe your task – and then it’s time to get to it!
Be creative, be collaborative, and be cooperative – And have fun!
Extra, Extra – Reader’s Theater All About It!
What goes into writing your own script?
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Reading Comprehension
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Attention to story elements – setting, characters, plot, central conflict
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Writing out the parts – coming up with the right number of roles – casting
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Careful attention to characters – inferring of character traits
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Practice reinterpreting descriptive text/narratives as a script
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Expanding on existing dialogue
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Narrator role? Or just “stage description”?
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Practice writing – proper punctuation, grammar, syntax, dialoguing
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Creative - Free – Fun – Inventive
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Collaboration - Cooperation – Fairness – ZPD – Modeling – Peer Sharing
Just like when books are turned into movies (Harry Potter, Shiloh, Lightning Thief), they too can turn mentor
texts or favorite books into scripts/plays/movies – then they can see which is better or worse!
Extra, Extra – Reader’s Theater All About It!
Lower Elementary (K-3)
Mini Lessons/Lessons Can be Taught on The Following:
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Target skills: sight words, rhyming, sequencing
Write and illustrate scripts based on read-aloud
Guided-Reading activity: group performance based on leveled reader
Complete character and/or story maps
Compare/contrast different versions of story
Extra, Extra – Reader’s Theater All About It!
Upper Elementary (3-5)
Mini Lessons/Lessons Can be Taught on The Following:
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Sight words, sequencing, metaphors, similes, alliteration, onomatopoeia
Write scripts based on read-aloud, or mentor text
Change scripts – add characters, alter endings, change story elements
Complete character and/or story maps/story mountains
Write sequels to stories/scripts
Compare/contrast different versions of story
Drawing conclusions, making predictions, inferring character traits
Make movies using Movie Maker with the finished scripts (either original or adapted – which is just like
the real thing! This process is a 2-3 week process all by itself and offers many opportunities for learning)
Extra, Extra – Reader’s Theater All About It!
All Grades
Coaching:
(like mini-lessons, but more casual and on an as needed basis)
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Punctuation
• Phrasing/Pacing
• Intonation
• Pitch
• Inflection
• Stress
Juncture (“a name” vs. “an aim”)
The
Science
of
Reader’s
Theater
Reader’s
Theater &
Social
Studies
Interdisciplinary
In Action
This has been a comprehensive look at
Reader’s Theatre
With Your Hosts
Dame Charlene Arboleda
&
Sir Mark D’Angelo